Birthright Expands

Birthright Israel  just expanded its eligibility guidelines to include student who participated in an educational trip during High School (it was already opened to students who visited with family members).  Additionally, post-college students will have some chances to go on the trip past the previous cut-off of age 26.

This is welcome news but leads to a few questions.

Why exactly are they making these changes?  

What other trends are impacting Israel trip applications?

How will this impact other educational trips to Israel (especially those for high school students run by NCSY, NFTY, and USY)?

Before I can tackle the questions about trends, here are my thoughts on why they are changing.

Noa Bauer, birthright's VP of International Marketing explains the party line here:

“I think everybody thought about [the change in the eligibility guidelines] for many years, and everybody wanted to have it,” Bauer said. “It was a matter of funding, and I think today you see more anti-Israel things on campus, and we realized over the years that people that have been to Israel again have more confidence for talking about Israel, and geopolitics, and anything pertaining to Israel after visiting with Birthright Israel. I think we’re one of the best platforms to do that for college students.”

They wanted to do it but it was a matter of funding.

I am not so sure... Last year saw a longer application period (it seemed as though it would never end). I was told that it was because the application numbers are down. Many of the qualified student who would go on the trip have already gone (then there are the usual issues of dates, time with family, etc.).

I found this reason curious because I learned this summer that movement-related trips to Israel are down as well. The reason conveyed to me is that is because many parents were hesitant to send students on a paid trip that would prevent them from going on a free trip.

This was troubling because birthright trips are ten days long (although some programs have birthright plus that extends the program and individuals can extend their ticket for a small fee) that offer an introduction to Israel at a rapid pace and the movement trips (see above for links) are 4-6 week programs that offer more in-depth trips.  Increased time = increased effectiveness when it comes to immersion (or most other things--see Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers:  The Story of Success).

There is probably more going on.  Some issues I would like to research more include the declining population of college-age students, the pressure on students to have jobs and internships, and competition from other Jewish educational programs.

For more information on Birthright, see my review of a book about the trip.

A Place Could Make You Cry Part I--Reflections on Seeing the Film Unsettled

To paraphrase Groucho Marx: before I start writing, I would like to write a few words.

The title of this blog post is a take-off on a book title by a senior rabbinic colleague, Rabbi Daniel Gordis, an American Jewish leader who made aliyah in the late 90's and started writing emails about his families experiences in an Israel at war.  He collected a number of the emails into a book, If a Place Could Make You Cry--Dispatches from an Anxious State.  It has been a while since I read the book, but the title has stayed with me.  Now that you know the literary allusion, I will skip to the incidents that provoked this post.

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This week is Israel Peace Week at Amherst College.  This ambitious program was created by Amherst Israel Alliance--a new Israel-oriented student organization which was created this fall (the last group, Amherst Friends of Israel, stopped functioning when most of its leaders graduated in '10).  I have had only limited input in the programming, which was organized by student leaders and Amherst's CJP IACT Fellow, Kylie Fisher.

Even though the week is only half over, yasher koach on a great first program.

The first night brought the Consul General of Israel to New England to campus for a reception with student leaders and an informal talk.  It had a good turn-out and feedback seemed positive.n  

The second night was a showing of the film, Unsettled, and a talk by its director, Adam Hootnick.  I had not seen the film but read a few positive reviews about it.  Interestingly, the film did not make it past the first step of selections for this year's Pioneer Valley Film Festival.  

Watching the film prompted me to write this post.

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I don't often cry at films, which sometimes upsets my wife.  Even if I get emotional, it usually has to be a very sad movie for me to openly cry.  Last night, while watching Unsettled, I got very emotional at a few points.  I arrived a few minutes late and sat in the back row.  I didn't realize it at first but I sat next to the filmmaker, Adam Hootnick.  The film chronicles a group of charismatic young Israelis involved in different ways in Israel'

s disengagement (pull-out) of Gaza in 2006.  Through these Israelis and their experiences (as religious and secular settlers removed from their homes, peace activists, and soldiers who worked the disengagement, we are exposed to a nation at war with itself.  While I have often thought of the individual Israeli families who were uprooted from their homes in Sinai ( for me, through Safam's powerful song Yamit), this film brings you into the living rooms and cars of those involved.  It is full of powerful, and sometimes disturbing, human moments in the midst of a historical drama that has been all but forgotten in the West--a country using 55000 soldiers and police forces to uproot a few thousand settlers that were encouraged by their country to settle in Gaza.

One scene that I spoke about during the Q&A was filmed inside the living room of one of the character's family as the soldiers come to evict them.  In contrast to some of the houses which were packed up and even partially dismantled--this home looked like a normal home.  A major and a soldier calmly knock on the door and are admitted with every courtesy.  They sit at the dining room table and talk about what is happening.  The father of the household--like all Israeli males a veteran of the IDF--tries to tell them that they could disobey orders.  When it is clear that they are there to do their job, they talk a little bit more and share the emotions of the moment.  It is clear that each side is not going to back down but they explain why they believe and act the way they do.  The soldiers demonstrate empathy and try to express that they realize how difficult it is for the family.  An elderly man sitting on a couch explains that none of them will fight or harm Israeli soldiers in any way but that they will need to be physically carried out by soldiers.  Around when it is time for the family to be removed, coffee is placed in front of the soldier and the officer.  The young soldier starts to get up to do his duty and the officer stops him by saying, "Drink first."  In the Middle East, it is very rude to refuse food or drink offered to you by a host.  This is one of the times that I cried.  Here they are about to carry a family out of their home, place them on a bus, and take them over the line out of Gaza for the last time.  At least one day before, their presence in Gaza was no longer legal.  The older officer is teaching his soldier a powerful lesson in manners--you don't forgot how to be a guest even in the middle of taking the family out of their own house.  This is one of the times that made me say out loud (before I knew who I was sitting next to):  they are all kids.  (The film does a great job at showing parts of the careful training that was given to the selected non-combat soldiers who were in the inner circle of disengagement.  A powerful part of this is when they were repeatedly warned to not look happy in any way while they were doing their job--even if they were successful at clearing a house). 

For now, I will put this blog post up since I am getting tired but their will be more to come tomorrow. 

Shalom,

Rabbi Bruce

Will it Ever Go Away: Galliano and Assange Make Anti-Semitic Remarks

I don't often post (or even talk) much about anti-Semitism. In my life, I have only experienced it a few times (two of the incidents occurred while I attended college). Still, when I see two media darlings make anti-Semitic at the same time, it is worth noticing.

John Galliano, the just-fired designer for the House of Dior who is famous for his outlandish behavior, was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks in a Paris bar. This type of speech is a crime in France. A few days later, a British paper posted a video of similar remarks made at the same bar months ago. According to the NY Times, he has been fired from his job. Natalie Portman, perhaps the most Jewishly involved A-list star and the spokesperson for Miss Dior Cherie perfume denounced him immediately, which the NY Times thinks sealed his fate.

This morning, I saw an article in the NY Times about anti-Semitic comments supposedly made by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in an interview. The account, which is disputed and is less disturbing even if true, is based on the well-known anti-Semitic staple of a Jewish media conspiracy. Assange has longed blamed his prosecution on rape charges and other legal issues to international conspiracies (some of which may be true as his organization has upset many governments). The move from general conspiracies to anti-Semitism is common. The most notorious example in my mind is the prominent role Israel plays in 9-11 conspiracy theories.

This semester, I am teaching a class about Diaspora Jewish cultures throughout history atWestern New England College. Many of the students commented that they were unaware of the history of anti-Semitism and the historic connections between Christianity and anti-Semitism.

Anti-Semitism is known as the "Scourge that won't go away."

It is far beyond my time or abilities to explain why anti-Semitism won't go away. It is just important to note that exists. In many parts of the world (especially Europe and countries withArab and/or Muslim majorities, it is rampant. Even in the US, it increased with the economic downturn (which is a typical pattern as it is easier to blame others for problems than to face up to our own responsibility) although it is lower than it once was and is currently much lower than anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry (which is not anti-Semitism even though Arabs are Semites).

On college campuses, most anti-Semitism is connected with anti-Israel sentiment and activism. See my previous blog post about it to learn more of my opinion about it.

I will restate a few things which may not have been clear when I said them before: not all anti-Israel sentiment or activism is anti-Semitic. Even when anti-Israel sentiment is anti-Semitic, it may not be intentional. Anti-Israel rhetoric regularly published in Arab media uses recognized anti-Semitic stereotypes, images, Holocaust denial and more. In a few cases, I have heard students and faculty who grew up in the Middle East use similar stereotypes and images without understanding their meaning or how they are viewed in the US. When I have confronted them about it, they are usually surprised and have always sincerely apologized. I am willing to attribute some of the anti-Semitic stereotypes and imagery in anti-Israel activism to similar lack of understanding (it is possibly more common in non-Arab students involved in activism who follow others' lead).

I do want to reiterate that picking on Israel alone (or disproportionately) for its evils while ignoring similar issues elsewhere in the world is anti-Semitism. Those who do it (including many of the people involved in BDS) don't like it when I say that but that doesn't make it any less true.

The only cure (and I hesitate to use the world since history suggests it can not and will not be cured) is education and open communication. Let this post be part of your education.

As always, I welcome your thoughtful and respectful comments and responses (either publicly or privately).

Rabbi Bruce

Personal Content Update: I was asked by a college friends what the incidents were in college. One Shabbat morning we arrived to services at the Conservative synagogue to find a large swastika painted on the door (it was the second time that happened). One night while joining Lancaster Theological Seminary Students at a bar-b-q (during the two years I lived there), a white van with no license plates drove the wrong way through the complex. Both the driver and passenger were wearing full Klan Regalia. In retrospect, it was more bigotry than Anti-Semitism. Two incidents happened after I started wearing my Kippah all of the time. In the first, a group of teens yelled at me out of a car while I was crossing the street. Another time, I drove with James to a farmer's market some ways outside of town. While we were shopping at a stall, the proprietor started sharpening a very long knife and saying: "I know about you people." We quickly walked to our car and drove away!

General Content Update:

This arrive in today's email to members of the New York Board of Rabbis:

Although the Academy Awards have already been given, I would like to suggest that two more be announced to the public. The first I would call the Best Condemnation by an Actress in a Leading Role, and the winner is Natalie Portman for her powerful statement protesting the anti-Semitic diatribe of former-Christian Dior head designer John Galliano. Her remarks reflected her great pride in her people. In an official statement, Ms. Portman said:

“I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today. In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.”

The second award would be the Best Action Taken by a Leading Corporation, and the winner is The House of Dior which quickly terminated the employment of John Galliano. We didn’t hear the usual weary defense that the remarks were taken out of context and misinterpreted. The House’s chief executive, Sidney Toledano, who is also Jewish, made the following statement at the beginning of today’s runway show in Paris:

“Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and its values, all around the world. What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal to us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be. Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples. These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent.”

Rabbi Charles Klein told me of two expressions often used in the Torah, B’inai Yisrael and Bayt Yisrael. At the beginning of the Exodus, we would read of the Jews as individuals (B’nai Yisrael), but as they formed a bond with their people, they were transformed into the House of Israel (Bayt Yisrael).

It is most heartening to see people who identify with Bayt Yisrael not just on a screen or a runway but in real life.

Shabbat Shalom,

JP

Israel Advocacy in a Complicated Time

In June, an interesting and controversial essay appeared in the New York Review of Books. Peter Beinart, a professor of Journalism and Political Science at CUNY. It examined trends in Zionism and the American Jewish community in frank language that opened the eyes of the community to trends and issues that have been brought up internally and rarely externally.

The essay starts with the clear divides based on generations (older and younger Jews) and affiliation (Orthodox) in regards to support (or even caring) about Israel. Basically, American Jews in each younger age group have less interest in Israel than the generations that proceed them. The article starts with a description of research conducted by prominent Republican pollster Frank Luntz (whose framing of politics and culture have informed debate in the US for the last two decades). In the groupings of young Jews, Israel often did not come up until it was specifically asked about, with language of "they" instead of "us." Beinart views this divide as having a number of causes: the liberal values American Jews raised their children on, the less liberal stances (especially regarding Israel) of the American Jewish establishment, and the divisions in Israeli society which have led to resurgence of right-wing parties. (I did not do it justice, please read the article and see the response between Beinart and the ADL's Foxman that followed in the next issue. See also this article in Commentary and this one in New Republic). Here is a report of the latest views of American Jews on Israel.

The last few years have seen anti-Israel activism reach levels rarely seen in my lifetime. I started college during the First Intifada (1987-1993) but anti-Israel sentiment at the time was not that bad (or at least not in retrospect). My first full-time job on campus coincided with the Second Intifada (2000-2005). I worked at Duke at the time, where we faced anti-Israel activists. I remember clearly Ronit, a pro-Israel student, coming to talk to me after the first few anti-Israel protests in September. She was a progressive student leader on campus, involved in all of the issues of that community. Now, her fellow progressive students were standing across from her with hateful, anti-Israel signs. Since Israel was a strong part of Ronit's identity, she read the signs as being anti-Ronit. This personifies some of what Beinart writes about. We also faced a Palestinian leadership that was better organized and more aggressive than anything seen on campus before (An interesting aside appears below)

The past few years, anti-Israel sentiment on campus has been much more pronounced than anything I faced as a student or in my first few years as a professional.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanction movement does not mince words and is well-organized, web savvy, and compelling. This article from Hillel describes the training and approach Israel's campus advocates are taking to face the new threats.

While I despise the language, approach, and message of the BDS movement--which is based on antisemitic ideas even though many of its proponents deny it--I fear that Beinart is correct in describing the generational disillusionment with Israel even if his analysis is flawed. I wonder what the new school year will bring. While I hope for peace, I doubt that we will see much progress this fall on the political front. I hope we can at least advance talks between the two sides on campus.

Rabbi Bruce

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The aside I mentioned above: The leader of the Palestinian student group is the son of Sami Al-Arian who was prosecuted for support of terrorism in a notorious case. Al-Arian pleaded guilty after he was acquitted on 9 charges and deadlocked on the other 8. The Wikipedia article about Al-Arian case demonstrates the complexities of anything on the web about Palestine and Israel. See the talk section for details about the case and the Wikipedia entry. I often tell students about a conversation I had with his son Abdullah Al-Arian in which he demonstrated familiarity with any pro-Israel source I had studied. I had far less familarity with the Palestinian sources he mentioned.)

Tzelofhad's Daughters - for Anat (Women of the Wall Chair Anat Hoffman arrested at Western Wall) by Abby Caplin

Tzelofhad's Daughters
for Anat

The five daughters of Tzelofhad,
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirtzah
Strong Bible women, sisters,
Stood together, sand between toes,
Toe to toe with their male elders,
Just in sight of the Promised Land.

Our father died and left no sons.
Give us our inheritance! they insisted.
Moses, confused, did not know what to do,
Except to simply ask
God, who said,
The plea is just!
Give them their share!
And it was made so.
In the Torah, it is written.

Now the great great-granddaughters of centuries of
Daughters of Tzelofhad, grown women with daughters,
And granddaughters of their own
Stand before the stones of
The Western Wall, what remains of the great Temple.
These are Women of the Wall.
They tender prayers to God
And plead their case.
Give us our share, our place before the Wall,
To pray freely, as full Jews,
This is our inheritance!

But those who rule do not ask God what is just,
Will not think to listen for
God's answer, instead
Allow the pitch of chairs,
Prayer books ripped from mothers' hands,
Allow the din of curses raining down
Upon the daughters of the hot desert sands.

Abby Caplin

© 2010 Abby Caplin. All rights reserved.

Here's also a link to the "Silver Thread Ritual," which got posted on Ritualwell.org: http://www.ritualwell.org/shabbat/shabbatlife/PrimaryObject.2010-05-12.4923

Abby Caplin MD, MA
Mind-Body Medicine and Counseling
415-255-9981
San Francisco, CA

Does Opinion Conflict With Fact or is Economic Development the Future of Peace?

During the summer, I have been keeping up with the world by reading the Electronic Digest of the NY Times. Although it doesn't have the entire paper, it is a good start and works reasonably well on my Android-powered Droid.

First the bad news:

This morning, I saw a brief article about a statement made by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (I don't write that too often since those words are in themselves quite depressing).

While holding a joint news conference with Russia's foreign minister in Jerusalem, the Foreign Minister (less depressing to write it that way) said that he can't imagine a Palestinian state by the end of 2012: "I’m an optimistic person, but there is absolutely no chance of reaching a Palestinian state by 2012,” said the minister, Avigdor Lieberman. 'One can dream and imagine, but we are far from reaching understandings and an agreement.'"

On the surface, this is quite depressing but not surprising. Although the Israeli people did not directly elect Netanyahu or his coalition, they knew what they were getting and haven't pressured for a vote-of-no-confidence. It is interesting that this immigrant to Israel from the former Soviet Union whose electoral base are Soviet-born Jews made this statement with his Russian counterpart. To me, this shows the distance between Netanyahu and Lieberman's policies and those of the Obama administration.

Now for the good news:

In his column in the opinion section titled "The Real Palestinian Revolution," Thomas Friedman writes about the growth in the Palestinian economy and the success of the institution and economy-building efforts of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. While I am not a fan of the economic boycott component of his work, I think Fayyad is taking a page from Israel's success--the Yishuv built up political and economic institutions of a state before they were given political authority.

It seems that the Palestinian stock market index is the best performing one in the Arab world. More companies have been added recently and the economy is growing. According to Friedman (and he has a lot more contacts and experience about this than I do), previous Palestinian leaders did not want to build an economy or central institutions for fear of aiding the occupation. I am not sure it is only a result of this policy since apart from the Emirates, most of the Arab world has either wasted its oil wealth (GDP is stagnant or fallen over time, unemployment is very high and they have created unsustainable welfare states) or given the vast majority to the ruling elites.*

Are these conflicting statements? On one hand, they are but Thomas Friedman does not deny the lack of political progress. He just highlights the success of the Palestinian Authority on building the economy and creating a safe environment for business (their US and European-trained security forces are keeping the piece and encouraging business to open (a few Sundays ago there was a feature on Jericho in the NY Times travel section that provides color to Friedman's opinion).

Maybe the buck is supreme and peace will come through the economy. The one problem (which I learned this in an earlier column by Friedman that I can't locate) is that Israel's economy is also improving which decreases their need to make the concessions required for peace.

Hopefully, the political track will catch up to the economic track. If Friedman is right, the new jobs for Palestinians, competent national institutions, and success of the Palestinian Authority will allow Palestinians to believe that they have a real future for an independent state so they stop supporting Hamas. At the same time, the reduction in terrorism and increase in trade will strengthen Israel's center (does it even have a left any more?) and allow Israel's to elect a government that will bring it a secure and lasting peace.

Have a great summer. Keep reading and learning.

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* I only found a few sources to back up these claims. In 2002, only two Arab countries had GDP per capita in the top 20 (above Israel): Qatar and UAE. Malta and Slovenia appear before the next Arab country Saudi Arabia. Additional sources include this piece from WRMEA (probably a pro-Israel think-tank), wiseGeek, and check out these economic fact sheets on Israel and Saudi Arabia as examples.

Why My Zionism Isn't Racism

A Smith student group publicized an event with a flier that includes a photo with graffiti that reads "Zionism is Racism." While students can argue about the group's name, its events, and its advertising, I want to examine the claim that "Zionism is Racism." It didn't say "Zionism may be racism" or "Zionists may be racists" but equated the two. Those espousing these views are stating that all Zionists are racists. It is no wonder that Jews and supporters of Israel on campus get upset at this claim--a student group just labeled them racists.

Zionism is a widely held belief in America which is not limited to Jews. I will not for a moment claim that there might not be Zionists who are racists--it is possible to find racists in any group. The claim of racism is often tied to resistance to Israeli settlement and occupation of Palestinian territory. I would like to examine the definition of Zionism to see if the claim of racism is appropriate. Since it is available to all readers, I suggest looking at the Wikipedia definition of Zionism. (I know that Wikipedia is not a scholarly source acceptable in academia, but it is a great start for a philosophical discussion). For accuracy, I will offer the sources for its basic definition of Zionism instead of quoting Wikipedia itself:
"An international movement originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel." ("Zionism," Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary). See also "Zionism", Encyclopedia Britannica, which describes it as a "Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews," and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, which defines it as "A Jewish movement that arose in the late 19th century in response to growing anti-Semitism and sought to reestablish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Modern Zionism is concerned with the support and development of the state of Israel."

All of these quotes contain the same basic definition of Zionism--a Jewish form of nationalism to create a country on the historic Jewish homeland. Since Israel was created in 1948, the political philosophy has taken new forms (which American Heritage Dictionary defines as "concerned with the support and development of the state of Israel.") None of these definitions hint at racism. When most American Jews use the term Zionism it describes a belief that Jews should have their own land, that this land should be in the historic Jewish homeland, and that the continued existence of Israel is important sixty some years after the Holocaust wiped out half of Europe's Jews.

The idea that Jews deserve a homeland like any other nation is clearly different from racism--a belief that one race is inherently inferior than another. To adequately examine the racism part of the claim, it is necessary to look at the term's meaning. To be even-handed, I will quote the sources used by Wikipedia in its racism entry:
The Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular racial group, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief. The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism as: "the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others."

Many American Jews read a claim that "Zionism is racism," and think "Bruce is racist" (i.e., that they read themselves into the statement). Here is the thing: Bruce isn't racist and neither are many American Jews (whether they view themselves as Zionists or not). Regardless of what those who created the flier (or others who use the slogan) may believe, many Jews read the flier as describing themselves. They know they are not racists. If I am not a racist yet am a Zionist and many other Zionists are not racists, than Zionism can't equal racism. To equate the two unequivocally is to engage in stereotyping--an act that when done in the negative form often leads to hatred and bias.

Reading one definition next to another should be enough to explain why "Zionism isn't racism." One is a political movement and one a belief. One is general and the other particular. When racism is applied to Israel, I assume it to mean that the Israeli-Palestinian relationship is defined by racism. Palestinians have their own form of nationalism. A claim of one nationalism against another is politics. Another reason why Zionism isn't racism is that Palestinians aren't a race (and neither are Zionists). I would have less of a problem with a claim that "Zionism is discriminatory" but it does not have the same appeal and shock value.

Many want to equate the political movement of Zionism (which the Wikipedia entry shows has a number of philosophical forms) with particular policies taken by the Israeli government. To do so is to take a logical leap based on politics. Some forms of Zionism may believe in occupation or even racism but most don't. For me, occupation is insidious and violent, so Israeli occupation of Palestinians is insidious and violent. It has only gotten more so over time and given the expansion of Jewish settlements in the disputed lands. Many Zionists and Zionisms do not favor occupation or settlements created to make a Palestinian homeland unworkable (however, most Zionists and Israelis believe that Jerusalem and its neighboring settlement blocs should remain Israel through a land exchange).

From my knowledge of our community, the vast majority of Smithies and Pioneer Valley residents who call themselves Zionists do not favor occupation or expansion of settlements. The local Rabbinate are overwhelmingly supporters of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. On its website, RHR describes itself as follows: "Rabbis for Human Rights gives voice to a Jewish and Zionist tradition of concern for Human Rights. RHR sounds the shofar of alarm on issues of human rights in Israel and in territories for which Israel has taken responsibility." The group who will be presenting at the event on the flier which led to this essay (the Palestinesolidarityproject.org) has on top of its website a post about a joint effort to help a Palestinian family farm their lands. RHR is listed as a participant. Is RHR racist? It is self-described as Zionist. To call the form of Zionism practiced in this area racist is stereotyping based on misinformation.

While Israel is far from perfect, in terms of basic freedoms it is worlds apart from its neighbors. Israeli Arabs certainly face discrimination. Fighting this discrimination is part of the mission of Rabbis for Human Rights. Arab Israelis vote and form political parties which denounce Israeli policies or are avowedly anti-Israel (if you research the "Zionism is Racism" debate at the UN in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, you can read Israeli Ambassador Herzog's description of the inclusion of Arabs in Israeli society. If Israel were racist or practicing Apartheid (another claim that we often hear on campus), that wouldn't be the case.

Regardless of its intent, those who say "Zionism is Racism" place Zionism--and consequently Zionists, Israelis, and Israeli-supporters--into a corner of filled with hatred, fear, and violence. This is an attempt to stereotype Jews and supporters of Israel and stifle discussion. It is hard enough for students at Smith to have open, intellectual discussion about charged emotional issues without using this type of language. It antagonizes students who care about Israel and leads to a hardening of positions rather than dialogue.

I have been criticized on Facebook for encouraging students to protest the misleading name of the student organization who is advertising their event with the "Zionism is Racism" picture. An important part of dialogue is to leave labeling to an individual or group. If one wants to label oneself a Zionist, than that is fine but it is up to the individual to define Zionism. Most Zionists don't define Zionism with racism. Here is an idea: I will stop questioning the name of a student organization that professes Middle East peace but refused to sponsor an event last week about peace and coexistence if you stop trying to equate my people's age-old longing for Israel with Racism!

Notes: Thank you to the many readers who offered suggestions to the drafts. I have taken your advice but the work is my own. I am happy to talk about anything contained in this document with any member of the Smith community. I am hopeful that the response to a silent protest about the rhetoric on the poster (with signs reading "Don't post hate on campus" and a version of this map with "110 out of 136 countries agree Zionism Isn't Racism") will lead to dialogue about peace, coexistence, and/or creating a safe and respectful campus environment.

Craig (of Craigs List) Joins Lendforpeace.org Advisory Board

I have always believed that economics are a key part of politics. Economic security supports political stability/security (and vice versa). Obviously, the opposite is also true: economic insecurity is a barrier to political stability. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu agrees. According to the JTA, he told US Jewish leaders to join Arabs in investing in the Palestinian economy. Economic prosperity for Palestinians is one of six conditions he outlined for lasting peace. To that end, Israel is working to facilitate commerce in the West Bank and stimulate the Palestinian economy. There is self-interest involved on the part of the Israeli government as the Palestinian and Israeli economies are closely linked (and since Israel controls shipping over land, air, and sea that will increase with economic stability). Last week, the NY Times had an article about stabilization of the Palestinian economy. An interesting way to support the Palestinian economy is to get involved in a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization that promotes microfinance. Craig Newmark, founder of Craigs List, just joined their board.
Here is an excert from the lendforpeace.org Press Release:

Craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, joins LendforPeace.org in support of Middle East entrepreneurship

San Francisco, CA – July 22, 2009 – Craig Newmark, Internet entrepreneur and founder of the classified advertising website Craigslist.org, has spent his career connecting people with complementary needs. Now, he is working to bring borrowers and lenders together to facilitate economic development in the Middle East.

Newmark announced today that he has joined the advisory board of a new microfinance website called LendforPeace.org. LendforPeace.org allows users to make loans to specific entrepreneurs in the West Bank, thus helping them build a sustainable livelihood through small business.

“I have modestly done my part over the years by getting involved in peace making efforts in this region,” said Newmark, “I believe that economic development is one of the ways that we can lay the groundwork for political stability in the Middle East. LendforPeace.org is helping to advance this cause.”

Newmark has already leant $5,000 to Palestinian micro-entrepreneurs through LendforPeace.org. Hajar Farukh, a 44-year-old mother of seven children, is one such individual. Her husband, a taxi driver, does the best he can to support his family, but only earns about $500 a month. Hajar dreams of being able to provide more for her family and so she opened a small grocery by her home to contribute to the household’s income. Working with a local microfinance partner, she requested a loan to buy more inventory for her shop. With the support of LendforPeace.org users like Newmark, Hajar’s small business will have the opportunity to grow, enabling her children to stay in school and her family to contribute positively to the community.

“We are honored to have Craig Newmark on LendforPeace.org’s advisory board,” says co-founder Allam Taj. “His dedication to the cause, entrepreneurial insight and experience make him an inspiration for our organization.”

About LendforPeace.org
Founded by two Jews and two Palestinians, LendforPeace.org is an innovative non-profit organization taking a grassroots approach to peace building. Through LendforPeace.org’s website, individuals can make small loans to specific entrepreneurs in the Middle East. By increasing cross-cultural exposure and collaboration, LendforPeace.org is striving to not only bring needed funds to the region but also to enhance interfaith dialogue between Jews and Palestinians.

About Craig Newmark
Craig Newmark is the founder of craigslist.org. He's also working with a wide range of groups using the Net to help each other out, like Donorschoose.org, the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Kiva.org and Consumer Reports. Craig is also actively engaged with government workers on multiple levels to use the Net for superior public service, and with Sunlight Foundation for government accountability and transparency.

I encourage you to support this important organization. If you are a student, consider being a campus ambassador.

More Thoughts on Divestment

Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about Divestment at the Five Colleges. An attempt at Hampshire College to get the school to divest from companies seen to aid the Israeli army failed (even though a student group tried to claim that it succeeded). At the other colleges, groups and individuals are trying to get the colleges endowments to divest as well (the farthest along is a vote next week at UMASS student government).

I posted a blog entry about Divestment before the Hampshire fiasco (featuring Alan Dershowitz in a public spat with the college until everyone understood what happened). A Smith student posted a comment which I only saw for the first time Tuesday evening.

Here is a quote from the comment: "You know that claiming that Divestment is anti-Semitic alienates yourself from dialogue and widens the rift between supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestine. I think you scare away those who disagree. It is an attempt to immediately delegitimize the actions of those who support divestment. No peace-loving individual enjoys being labeled as someone who hates Jewish people."

I reread my original post to see where I labeled proponents of Divestment Anti-Semitic. I still don't think I did, but will expand on my thoughts about Divestment to make it clearer. I am very concerned that something I write will be considered stifling of discussion or scare people away from interacting with me.

In order to examine these issues, it is necessary to define terms. To do so, I quote from a recent ADL publication (Fighting Back: A Handbook for Responding to Anti-Israel Campaigns on College and University Campuses):

Anti-Israel
Anti-Israel refers to extreme and/or illegitimate criticism of Israel that can take many forms, including the denial of Israel’s right to exist and/or holding Israel to different or higher standards than other countries. Anti-Israel sentiment should be distinguished from legitimate critiques or questioning of specific Israeli government policies, politicians, and so on.
Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is prejudice and/or discrimination against Jews. Anti-Semitism can be based on hatred against Jews because of their religious beliefs, their group membership (ethnicity) and sometimes the erroneous belief that Jews are a race.
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is criticism or rejection of the right of Jews to have their own homeland.

According to these definitions, Divestment from Israel (or companies that profit from the Israeli Army) is Anti-Israel because it holds Israel to a different or higher standard and extends beyond legitimate discussion of Israel government policies and actions. To give one example, China has occupied Tibet since 1959: any group that Divests from Israel without bringing the action against China (or the many similar cases) is Anti-Israel. If it were a part of a broader campaign to Divest from all similar cases, it would not be Anti-Israel. I wrote that Divestment often uses Anti-Semitic rhetoric or assumptions. Remember, I wrote this before the Hampshire incident and without reading anything written by Students for Justice in Palestine at any of the Five Colleges. All that I have read about Divestment--including the web pages of national organizations that promote it are Anti-Zionist and Anti-Israel. Many do not cross the complicated line to Anti-Semitism, but some of its proponents do so. Focus on Israel and its policies when other similar cases are ignored is heir to centuries of Anti-Semitism. That doesn't mean that it is Anti-Semitism but that Anti-Israel sentiment draws on historical Anti-Semitic rhetoric and concepts. Those who doubt this must study the history of Anti-Semitism.

In case I was not clear in my previous post or any oral communication: questioning and criticism of Israel is opinion and political thought that is appropriate, even encouraged, in an academic setting (this happens all of the time in Israel and the American Jewish community--especially in the Pioneer Valley). If the questioning denies Israel's right to exist or holds it to a higher standard than other countries, it is Anti-Israel. Not all Divestment activists are Anti-Semitic. Some may claim to be narrowly focused and not Anti-Israel. But the movement itself to question Israel alone for its existence, policies, and actions is a modern incarnation of age-old hatred of Jews. The technical term for that type of bigotry is Anti-Semitism. The actions may not be Anti-Semitic but the premise of deligitimizing Israel (no one will be able to convince me that any form of Divestment is anything but an attempt to deligitimize Israel) is heir to centuries of Anti-Semitism. (Whenever this comes up, I hear people arguing that since Arabs are Semites they can not be Anti-Semitic. The term was coined to refer to hatred of Jews and that is its only technical meaning. This has two implications: bigotry/hatred of Arabs or Muslims is not Anti-Semitsm, Arabs and Muslims can be Anti-Semites.)

When a recent Anti-Israel rally included a speaker who said: "The Jew infested US Congress. . .", that was Anti-Semitism in the plainest form. It had little to do with any political point, transcended any legitimate criticism of Israel or its policies, and should not be tolerated in the Five Colleges. It draws on historical Anti-Semitic imagery of the Jews as parasite or vermin. That no student or faculty member at the event stopped the speaker is troubling to me to say the least. If I were ever at a Pro-Israel event on my campus and a speaker spoke similar hate speech about any group, I would stop the speaker and/or issue a statement distancing myself and the Jewish communities I represent from the hate. This has still not occurred. I have a few theories for why this may be the case but I will leave these to further posts.

To summarize, I do not believe that all Divestment activists are Anti-Semites. They may not even all consider themselves Anti-Israel. I am not convinced that a credible claim can be made that Divestment (even if narrowly defined to refer to Occupation or the military) can be anything but Anti-Israel. The only exception would be if Divestment was applied equally and with the same fervor to all similar situations.

I believe that peace starts here with us. If we promote investment in peace and coexistence, if we work to build understanding and dialogue, we will help bring peace. Deligitimizing Israel, using hateful rhetoric, and standing quiet while students rant Anti-Semitic statements does none of this. Questioning and criticising Israel when done respectfully and with a critical stance is part of the academic process. Rallies where negation, deligitimization, and hatred are used creates an environment where students do not feel safe to voice their beliefs. This infringes on the academic process.

At a later time, I will write about the historical and theological importance of Israel for Jews and Judaism. Lack of understanding about this is fundamental in understanding moves for Divestment and deligitimization of Israel as well as the reaction Jewish leaders take when they arise. More on this to come.

I have been working hard on the campuses of Smith and Amherst to maintain a level of dialogue and respect. I encourage responses in person, on the phone, or by email. Learning from each other is the primary task of academia.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bruce

Divestment & Boycott Means You Don't Think Israel Should Exist

The description to a vigil tonight at Smith contains language from the boycott and divestment movement. I want to state clearly that any discussion of Boycott and Divestment stems from denial of Israel's legitimacy. It is not possible to work towards a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict when using anti-Semitic rhetoric.
I am happy to provide more information about Boycott and Divestment movements and why they have failed in academia.

Those students and faculty at Smith that know me understand that I am deeply committed to peace and am greatly upset at the loss of all life. Still, I can't support any discussion of Boycott/Divestment or any vigils or events that raise these issues as a central element.
Rabbi Bruce

From the ADL:

• There is no comparison between Israeli policy and apartheid South Africa: While the anti-Israel activists point to the divestment campaign against South African apartheid as an example of how such a campaign can achieve dramatic results, most recognize that the Israeli-Palestinian situation is distinctly different. First and foremost, pro-Palestinian advocates of divestment cannot offer the same moral clarity as the 80's anti-apartheid campaigners did. The treatment of Arabs by the State of Israel can in no way be compared to the treatment of the Blacks of South Africa under apartheid.
  
  There is no Israeli ideology, policy or plan to segregate, persecute or mistreat its Israeli Arab citizens, nor Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank (Israel already unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip in August 2005). Apartheid South Africa was extraordinarily repressive, regulating every detail of the lives of its subjects – 90 percent of whom were non-white – on the basis of their skin color. By contrast, Israel is a democracy which encourages vibrant debate, which has a flourishing free press and which shares with other liberal democracies a core value: the equality of all its citizens before the law. Nor does Israel want to indefinitely rule over the Palestinian population of the West Bank. Israel's measures in the territories, such as the building of a security barrier, checkpoints and curfews on the Palestinians are driven not by a racist ideology. Rather, they are due to legitimate security concerns on Israel's part and are the consequence of a campaign of terror by Palestinian groups such as Hamas and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, which, in deliberately targeting civilians, have claimed over 1,000 innocent Israeli lives.
  
  The South African divestment campaign targeted companies who were exploiting black labor. In contrast, Israeli and Palestinian workers have both suffered enormously from the economic downturn brought about by the four years of violence and conflict. Moreover, while South African apartheid had no popular support here in America, according to public opinion polls Israel enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority of Americans and of the U.S. political leadership.
  
  More: Israel and Apartheid: The Big Lie
  
• Divestment advocates ignore the complexity of the conflict: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace process is complex. With their rigidly one-sided view of the conflict, divestment advocates see a solution only through punitive action against Israel. The harsh rhetoric of proponents blindly ignores Israeli policies and efforts to promote negotiations and improve the situation on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These advocates also ignore Palestinian intransigence, terrorism and violence, as well as the new situation that has arisen following Hamas' success in the 2006 Palestinian Authority election. Instead, divestment campaigns singularly demonize Israel and designate Israel for pariah status. Such initiatives do not to seek creative and constructive efforts to promote dialogue, peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
  
• Israel is being unfairly singled out for human rights violations: These campaigns single out Israel and condemn its record on human rights without any reference to the myriad of human rights outrages going on in the world today including Sudan, Zimbabwe and others. In fact, Israel remains the lone democracy in the Middle East, with all of the institutions – a free press, a multitude of political parties, an independent judiciary and religious freedom — that are at the heart of true liberal democracies. The Middle East and indeed the world has many states that do not come close to living up to Israel's standards. Thus, the singling out of Israel for such punitive treatment is disingenuous and disproportionate.
  
• How concerned individuals can help promote reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians: Individuals need to educate themselves on the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and promote positions that ensure peace and security for all. The well being of Israelis and Palestinians will best be advanced through policies that help to build a Palestinian society that rejects terror and is ready to accept Israel as the neighbor of a future Palestinian state. Peace will also require investment in programs that promote reconciliation and humanitarian assistance.

Peace to Those Near & Far - The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same

For the past week and a half, I have watched the footage, read editorials and emails, and participated in conference calls with Israeli diplomats and Jewish leaders. I just started to write, 'Once again, Israel is at war with its neighbors.' That is not quite true. Once again, the world is noticing that Israel is at war with its neighbors and that the bloodshed--and therefore the news reports--are much higher than before.

During the summer of 2006, I visited Israel during its war with Lebanon. While most of the media focused on the fighting between Hezballah and Israel, the missiles raining down on the North, we also visited Sderot -- the town filled with poor and immigrant Israelis that abuts Gaza. For the last few years, there have been almost constant missile attacks on Southern Israel with limited Israel military response. Until it expired on December 19th, their were many fewer missile attacks. Still, a generation of Israeli children in the South have lived under the threat of constant, deliberate missile attack. I do not believe that Israel is without fault but international law and government responsibility to its citizens demands that it protect its citizens. Hamas' desired aim is to kill civilizians in terrorist attacks, it refuses to negotiate with or even recognize Israel. It takes no responsibility for controlling the arms in its terroritory (other than to take them away from rival Palestinian factions.

None of this means I do not care of the loss of Palestinian lives. But a few questions need to be asked: Israel has spent billions building shelters to protect its citizens. Why are Palestinian women in children dying and the Hamas leaders surviving? It is because the only shelters to have been built are for Hamas. I know it is a poor area under economic sanctions by much of the world. But Palestinian aid has disappeared to the tune of billions. What is a responsible government supposed to do when a declared enemy launches missiles at civilians populations, from dense populated areas?

Professor Alan Dershowitz--one of the foremost civil libertarians in the US wrote an editorial about the issues of proportionality and international law in the Wall Street Journal. I leave these issues to the experts but note that until the ground war, Egypt and Saudi Arabia joined many local, national, and international leaders in supporting Israel against Hamas.

One final note about Israel sovreign neighbors. While Israel has peace agreements with Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian authority, there are many inbalances in the long history of Arab-Israeli conflicts. Most of the residents of Sderot were expelled from the Arab lands they lived in for hundreds of years. They have been full citizens of Israel since arriving, were resettled, given homes, educations, job training, etc. Why haven't the Palestinians been treated the same by the Arab countries that have housed them since 1948 and 1967? Egypt has only half-heartedly stopped smuggling of weapons into Gaza from Sinai. Israel has destroyed more than fifty tunnels--including large, sophisticated tunnels reaching far into Egyptian territory. While they are quite happy keeping Palestians out of Egypt, can't they keep large, military missiles out a neighboring country? Now, Egypt is working with the EU, the US, and the UN to achieve a cease-fire. Where were they when bombs were falling for years?

I pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I spent my first year after college studying in Jerusalem. It was 1993-1994, the year Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo Accords. It saddens me that far from being better, the conditions for Palestinians and Israelis is worse than before. I still hope that I will see a democratic, Palestinian state living peacefully with Israel but despair that it won't be until my young children study in Israel in ten or more years!

Shalom, shalom to those near and far,
Rabbi Bruce

Here are some resources that will provide a variety of viewpoints. I have previously blogged about organizations that I support personally.
I suggest the excellent Israeli papers: Ha-Aretz (the New York Times of Israel--politically moderate) and Jeruslaem Post (an Engish daily that is more Conservative). The Israel on Campus Coalition represents a broad coalition of organizations that represent Israel on campus, and (since they are not part of ICC, groups such as Rabbis for Human Rights or Peace Now.

Ceasefire Between Hamas & Israel Started This Morning

I applaud the almost half-day old cease fire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt.
While I am doubtful that it will last six months (yet alone the years we need to restore trust and cooperation), it is a hopeful sign. Hamas is agreeing because it needs more than a few trucks of humanitarian aid to keep its people happy. In that sense, Israel's policy worked (although it took a lot longer than Israel expected). There have been reports about releasing Gilad Shalit (held captive by Hamas) or the two captives held in Lebanon (or elsewhere) by Hezbollah.

Still, I see some discouraging signs: 30 missiles were shot into Israel the day before the ceasefire. That d0es not bode well for the future--they had to know a ceasefire was coming. I actually never understood agreeing when to stop something when you could just stop something. (Once, an Israel roommate came to tell me he was having a party because he and his girlfriend decided to get engaged. Why didn't they just get engaged?) I understand that unilateral action has not worked well for Israel (ie. Lebanon and Gaza withdrawals and the resulting attacks on Israel from those areas that have led to the recent fighting) but if you are about to stop, stop and then say you stopped. Don't say we will stop and then stop.
I will probably not blog too much the next few months--I know that is not much of a change from the last few months but it is a realistic prediction. Peace or release of the hostages would obviously lead to some posting.
Visit me this month at Camp Ramah New England.
If you are coming to Smith or Amherst this fall as new students, Facebook me!
Shalom,
Rabbi Bruce

A New Voice for Isael

Recently, J Street and JStreetPAC opened for business. They offer a Pro-Peace and Pro-Security alternative to the monolithic pro-Israel voices heard up to now in America.

Only recently did I realize that the American Jewish community is ten years or more behind the Israeli community when it comes to Middle East politics.

This winter, the JCPA (the policy coalition of the American Jewish community) voted in favor of a two-state solution. Israel came to that realization in 1993 & 1994 when it committed itself to the Oslo Accords! Even then, the main Orthodox organizations involved in JCPA voted against a two-state solution--the acknowledged policy of the Israeli government.

It is time for the voices for a strong Israel in safe & secure borders to speak up.

Sign up for J Street. Support Peace & Security.

Jerusalem Diary - Sunday

After a slow morning, I arrived at the Conservative Yeshiva at around 9:30. After I walked in, I saw Josh Kulp and went to give him a hug and catch up. A few of the other Kollel members and faculty came to say hello (Shlomo Zacharow who worked at Ramah and others). Also, I recognized a number of the students from dinner Friday and Kedem on Shabbat morning. After schmoozing with Josh, I started to go over the Talmud passage he would be teaching and then joined his shiur. They are studying a long section on muktzeh in the third chapter of Shabbat.

I left Josh's class at noon to meet with Clare Goldwater who was visiting the Yeshiva after I reached out to her. After time with Clare and Daniel Goldfarb (Director of the Yeshiva), I joined Clare for lunch at Masrik (great pasta). We talked about how I could return to Israel for a year with my family. Don't worry, it won't happen soon. Clare and I talked about some of my plans for Smith-Amherst Hillel (not ready for publication) and other developments. I always enjoy talking with her but can never get more than a few minutes at Hillel conferences.

I spent the afternoon shopping--getting nature material at SPNI for Deborah, a stamp book for Zev, gifts for the girls (they will remain surprises for them), and a few other items (also surprises but they come from Yirmiyahu's, Dahab, and a CD store). I then went to the Conservative Yeshiva for ma'ariv and some more schmoozing. At 7, I went to the apartment of a friend from Pardes (Craig Preston). Matt Berkowitz had been staying there and I said goodbye to him. Craig then took me to a great place for Israeli food--stekiat bibi in the industrial zone of Talpiot (near Pardes).

Craig drove me back to the apartment in Givat Mordechai to pack and post on the blog.

I walked a lot today, ate great food, learned some Talmud, and talked to amazing people--a typical day for me in Jerusalem. This will probably end my Jerusalem diaries as I meet the two Five College birthright Israel busses tomorrow afternoon and will have little computer access.

Tomorrow's plans: learning Talmud in the morning, dropping off my luggage at the hotel, meeting my group at the airport, and then heading back to Jerusalem for dinner and the start of their program.

Jerusalem Diary - Shabbat

The last day was a great Shabbat in Jerusalem. Last night, I arrived at Aryeh Bernstein's in the afternoon before an early Shabbat (candle lighting was a little after 4 with shkiah closer to 5). We went to the Minyan Shivyoni Baka and then to a great dinner at a friend's apartment. In addition to people from the Conservative Yeshiva, Pardes, and foreign rabbinical students, there was a couple from the US with two small children. The man, Alex, went to Maimonides with Deborah (even though they haven't seen each other since high school). Also, one of the rabbinical students has a brother and sister-in-law in Northampton.

It was a great night of intelligent conversation with people from a variety of Jewish backrounds. All of Aryeh's friends are intellectual and tend to be on the traditional end of liberal Judaism (or the liberal end of traditional Judaism). After a long, leisurely dinner, we walked back to Aryeh's apartment. At his apartment, we talked about critical Talmud study and halakhah until his lights turned out.

This morning, I went to Minyan Kedem. It was nice, Ramah-style davening. It did not seem like too many people spoke Hebrew as a native language. They had a great kiddush. Noam Raucher met me there. Noam was a CIT at Ramah and was a student at Hofstra when I worked there. It was great to see him now that he is a mature Rabbinical Student (at the Ziegler School in CA). He is spending his year at Machon Schechter. A JTS student and two HUC students visiting for their break joined us for lunch. I brough the Marzipan rugelach--yum!

At 3:30, I walked to the home of Audrey and Harvey Scher. Audrey is an proud Smith alumna who is friends with Renee. She returns each time her class has a reunion and is also the chair of the Pardes board. I spent around two hours talking to them about Smith, Northampton, me, and we played a few rounds of Jewish geography. They know people living in Northampton and their daughter worked one summer at CRNE as mishlachat. I returned to Aryeh's apartment after havdalah. Aryeh was hosting a number of people visiting Jerusalem who had attended Yeshivat Maaleh Gilboa with him. We all davened Maariv together and I got to hear him teach a little.

Thanks to Aryeh for an amazing Shabbat in Baka/Talpiot. Even though I have been to Jerusalem a few times since we last lived here in 1998, a Shabbat like this makes me realize that there is no place like Jerusalem (and especially no place like Baka/Talpiot/German Colony). I have to get my family here for an extended period (Deborah, I hope you read this. Start planning for a year here before Zev's bar mitzvah)!

Motzei Shabbat, I met Devorah Schoenfeld and we walked around, had some schwarma, and did a little shopping.
More later.

Jerusalem Diary Erev Shabbat

Woke up at 5am to go to the restroom and then spoke on the phone to Deborah.
Fell back asleep until after 9. Eventually made my way downtown. Went to Mahane Yehuda to buy rugulach at Marzipan Bakery. After fighting the crowds, I made my way to the midrehov to stop by Dahab to pick up necklaces from the girls. For those who joined late, Dahab is owned by my Beduin friends Issa and his brother. I need to come back Sunday.

Then, grabbed some pizza (the good schwarma place had already closed) before catching a bus to spend Shabbat with Aryeh Bernstein (friend from JTS, Israel, etc. and brother of my friend and colleague Eddie Bernstein). Aryeh agreed to host me last minute and even lined up dinner tonight. Tonight we will daven at Minyan Shivyoni Bakka and tomorrow I meet Noam Raucher (a Hofstra student from when I worked there who also worked at Ramah New England) at Kedem before lunch.


Now talking about Egalitarianism with Aryeh (who works for Mechon Hadar and also teaches Talmud at the Hartman high school).

Bye for now. Shabbat Shalom,
Bruce

Jerusalem Diaries-Day 2

Part I

Today, I had mostly free of plans. The only thing I arranged was to have lunch with my friend and former Hevruta, Rabbi Peretz Rodman. After a calm morning, I took the 6 bus downtown and had two hours before needing to meet Peretz for lunch. I took a slow tour of book stores in downtown and Meah Shearim before sitting down to read for the final half hour. I restrained myself from buying books but did enjoy two potatoe burekkas.

A few minutes after 1, Peretz joined me with his smiling face and heart-felt laughter. I accompanied him to the bank before we found a small place where I got a heaping plate of Schwarma, rice, beans and more. On the way, he introduced me to the director of Masorti Judaism and I introduced him to Cantor and Mrs. Ed Kulp. Cantor Kulp worked with my brother-in-law Aaron before his retirement. We had seen them over Thanksgiving weekend when we visited Ventnor-Margate.

Before parting, Peretz accompanied me to the Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism. My colleague, Rabbi Jim Lebeau, the center's director gave me a tour and then a computer to use for this first part. I have a few more stops to make in the Center before heading back for a nap (I still have some jet lag).

Part II
I spent a while talking to the staff of the Yeshiva about a student applying, the program, how to support it. I connected them with some colleagues who are visiting Israel. Then I caught the 17 bus back to Givat Mordechai (the neighborhood I am staying in). Even though I stayed in the center of town, it was more walking than I do in the US (that is a great thing about Jerusalem--the hills don't hurt with getting exercise either).

I thought I would spend the night at Givat Mordechai when Matt Berkowitz called that he was going out to dinner with a mutual friend--Devora Schoenfeld. I joined them in the German Colony (a historic neighborhood home to great resteraunts and some cool shops). We walked around and looked at the variety of resteraunt types (cafes, meat and dairy, Italian, Japanese, etc.) and chose a small Asian resteraunt that had a few tables. The place, Soya, was a hole-in-the-wall but is located at the corner of Rahel Imeinu and Emek Refaim (the main drag in the German Colony). After a few hours, Matt and Devora went to sleep. I walked around for a while before catching a cab back to the Melammed's apartment.

Jerusalem Diary - Day 1

I arrived in Israel early this morning. The last few times I have come, my time has not been my own since I was leading a group. This time, I have a week free in Jerusalem before my students arrive. . . so a diary of my time is in order.

Before leaving: Sunday, I officiated at the funeral of my great-aunt, Dr. Ethel Platt z"l. Aunt Ethel died on Shabbat at 91. She graduated medical school in 1941 and spent close to 50 years in practice with her husband, Dr. David Platt in a large family practice in Wilmington, DE. David was the brother of my grandmother, Francais Kramen z"l. It is sad to have to see family at a funeral but not so sad when someone lived an accomplished long life.

My parents always joke that we never spend more than 24 hours in Delaware. Since we didn't leave until after Shabbat, this time it was more like 20 hours. On the way home, Deborah dropped me at a hotel near the Newark airport. It was lucky that my pre-flight plans changed. My ticket was leaving from Newark and I had booked a flight from Hartford to JFK!

After meeting the Birthright group I was escorting to Israel, I made my way to the gate. There, a Levine cousin, Ronit Field called out to me. Of course, this wouldn't be the only chance meeting of the last two days . . . On the flight was my former professor from JTS, Dr. Ed Greenstein (who is cousins with AC student Josh Glasser) and his family. Ed's son is classmates with the son of the family I am staying with in Jersuaelm.

The Birthright group was heading to Jerusalem so I joined them to meet my host, my college Professor and friend, Dr. Renee Levine Mellamed. She told me she would call when she was able to meet me. It turns out the bus was in a great place for her to pick me up--between Gan Sacher and Wolfson towers. So I told the bus driver who told me to get in the middle of traffic with my bags! Typical Israeli bus driver. A few minutes later, Renee picked me up on the road to Hebrew University and the Israel museum.

After settling in to their apartment, having some breakfast, napping and showering, it was time to venture to the Center of Jerusalem. I took the 6 bus into the center and went to visit my beduin friends from Dahab off of Ben Yehuda. I met Issa and his brother two years ago when I came during the war. Rabbi David Small and I bought our wives jewelry and promised to return with groups. I did so last year and decided to say hello. They served me tea and we talked for almost an hour. They showed me the new stuff in their shop and I promised to return with my students.

I decided I needed some lunch and went to Pinati--the best humus place in the city. Pinati is a hole-in-the-wall store that I walked by many times until my friend Rabbi Matt Berkowitz showed it to me in 1993. They now have a glass enclosure at the top and I had a great seat to people watch. You never know who you will see! After a few minutes, I hear a knock on the window and a loud call of "Bruce!" Matt was here in Jerusalem. With the type of coincidence that occurs in our Holy City, he had a few minutes free and was wandering around. If I hadn't gone to Pinati and he hadn't had free time, we wouldn't have seen each other. After finishing, we went for a walk and caught up about families, work, and Matt's art. I took him to visit Dahab and then waited with him until he met a friend. We will get together again on Friday.
After a little shopping (2 cd's and 2 books), I took the bus back to Givat Mordechai for the evening.